Growing Strong
by Brachylagus-fandom
Summary: Harry Potter has lived many lives unknown and untold by the ministry. These are a few of these. Chapters may be expanded into full stories upon request. General bashing of magical world, especially Weasleys/Dumbledore. Harry is inconsistently male. Canon divergence. This may be added to later but is finished for now. Crossover series is listed in chapter title.
1. Preface

Time is an odd, convoluted, twisted thing. It twists around every person, differences that change their path and the world at large showing up. Oddly, it twisted around one person in particular.

One Harry James Potter, the son of Lily and James Potter, had the largest number of twists. Of course, there is the version we all know, but there are a thousand other paths. Sometimes, the paths connected other universes in strange, twisted ways. However, that wasn't always his name. Lily and James weren't always his parents. The story heard throughout the world wasn't always his story. Sometimes, Harry wasn't even male.

The twisted tales have only one thing in common: Harry Potter was there and he was growing strong.


	2. Far From a Fairy Tail! (FT)

It's a funny coincidence, really. Harry Potter nears his return from the Dursleys. Minerva stops sleeping. She knows full well that he shouldn't be there, but that changes nothing. She is powerless next to Dumbledore. Instead of protesting more and facing the consequences, she simply frowns, goes about her day, and helps the boy the best she can. He is constantly running the gauntlet that Albus and Voldemort have set before him. When the gauntlet climaxes, Minerva stops sleeping again.

With Harry Potter back in her life, she rarely got any sleep.

Still, there are others that share her insomnia: the Weasley twins, the Quidditch girls, the wonderful, wonderful Hermione Granger. They stay up and plan so that Harry doesn't die. So far, they've succeeded. They've won against a gauntlet of traps, a basilisk, and Voldemort himself (twice, no less). In doing so, they've succeeded against Albus. Minerva wonders how long that will last.

Sighing, Minerva considered the most recent developments in the insanity she called her life. It was four weeks until September first, but the worry was starting again. Was Harry still at the Dursleys? Had Hermione's plan worked? Had George's plan worked? With the new news, Minerva really didn't care. It looked like it would be the worst year yet.

Sirius Black was loose, for better or worse. Minerva couldn't quite believe he was guilty, but she wasn't taking any chances. A man who could escape from Azkaban could get into Hogwarts easily, whether or not Dementors lurked outside. Dementors would trigger some students, Minerva knew. Hogwarts was far from a fairy tale. People were going to be affected. Someone would likely try committing suicide. Minerva decided that it would be a good idea to add drag and cushioning charms to the base of all of the towers after she had paid an old friend a visit.

Minerva checked that there were no surveillance charms on her office. Albus couldn't know who she was contacting to fill the extra course slot. The extra courses hadn't been offered in years, but having one was something Albus would agree to. He had put out notices for it, after all.

Pushing thoughts of Sirius Black and his possible innocence to the back of her head, Minerva threw powder from a small, hidden box into her fireplace. The flames turned sky blue. Minerva stepped into them and whispered, "Magnolia" and laughed at the irony. This situation was far from a fairy tale, and she was calling for exactly that.

* * *

The fireplace in Fairy Tail's guild hall lit up blue and a thin, old woman stepped out of it. The woman brushed off her black dress and smiled politely at them. "Hello. My name is Minerva McGonagall. Can I please speak to your guild master?" Mirajane nodded and pointed towards Makarov's office. "Thank you." McGonagall stepped into the office. Makarov looked up.

"Minerva! How are you? Why are you here?" Makarov asked.

"Makarov, I have a favor to ask of you," Minerva admitted. "Do you remember where I live?"

"With the Old Goat you can't leave?"

"Yes. I'm still bound by that oath of servitude. To understand this, I need to explain. Where I live, there is a boy named Harry Potter who survived the Killing Curse as a baby. The Old Goat is trying to control him. This will be his third year of schooling. Each year, the challenges he faces grow more dangerous. This year will be particularly bad." Minerva sighed. "Dementors, Makarov. Dementors and a supposed mass murderer. I would like your help in protecting my students."

"How?"

"The Old Goat is still looking for teachers for the extra courses: healing, magical society, warding, wandless magic and the like. I have the latest notice here. I would like for you to send someone you trust to fill one of these positions. There is also a possibility of having some come in as exchange students. If you do not want to risk it, I will respect your choice. If it was my decision, I probably wouldn't."

"Minerva, something like this seems just the challenge for my children! I may not be able to help you, but certainly will try." Minerva thanked him and left. Makarov pondered just how he could help her and keep his children safe at the same time.

He sincerely doubted one person would be enough, and sending only one would leave them without backup in a potential death trap. Students, however, would have limited ability to protect anyone. A team of both would be best, but it would take some work to do the convincing. Even with methods, who would go? Much as he liked Macao and Wakaba, both would definitely send this mission down in flames. Gildarts and Laxus would probably do so as well, but they, at least, had power Macao and Wakaba lacked. Gildarts' magic was too destructive, but perhaps Laxus was non-volatile enough to do this? The thought was mostly discarded. Laxus was a ticking time bomb, and he wanted to keep his grandson safe just a little longer. Perhaps Jellal? He was powerful and mentally stable most of the time. Plus, it would keep him out of the bounty hunter's hands until Lahar's paperwork finally made it through the Council. Yes, Jellal would be a good choice. But what about students?

Cana could possibly pass as seventeen, but Erza and Mirajane couldn't. Natsu and Gray were slightly volatile, but they would look and certainly acted younger. Lisanna would be able to balance them out if her siblings agreed. Wendy would want to go, and she certainly would be a fairly good choice. So would Lucy. Levy would also be a good candidate. He would need to think his list of students over. However, that was manageable and Makarov was eager to help Minerva in any way possible.


	3. Gray's Sister (FT)

Gray looked around Nirvana, trying to figure out why he kept seeing a tiny girl in a pale blue cloak running around. Not just on Nirvana, no - he had dreamed of her for years, and now she raced through his early memories like she belonged. It took Gray only a minute to realize why - _she did_.

* * *

Gray and Lyon paced restlessly. The others watched nervously, unsure of what was going on. Both boys were muttering under their breath. Finally, Gray exploded.

"That old bastard!" Gray yelled. "He took her!"

"Who took who?" Lucy asked. Lyon growled.

"Back when we were Ur's students," Lyon explained. "Gray had a little sister. Some colorblind old bastard took her and wiped our memories!"

"We need to find her," Gray said. "We need to get Ultear and find Vi. We need to get them now." Lyon nodded.

"Who are Vi and Ultear?" Erza asked.

"Vi is Gray's little sister. Ultear is Ur's daughter. We knew her for about a week."

"So we're going on an adventure?" Wendy asked. Both boys looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"You have a plan?" Erza asked. Again, the boys nodded.

"First, go back to the woods and get the things we buried there. Those will make a lot of things easier. Second, get Ultear. We have a better idea of where she is. Finally, figure out where that bastard took Vi and find her."

"For one thing, I've got the cloaks. Secondly, Ultear might be easier than we thought, as she's over there," Lyon pointed out. Gray looked and swore. "Ultear, phoenix fire melts ice!" Ultear looked at them and began to swear. Oddly, so did Lahar.

"That old bastard!"

* * *

As she listened to her uncle rave outside, Violet Potter reflected on some things. Violet had a lot to reflect on. She was alone and helpless until August 24th, when she'd hopefully be at Hermione's. She was in trouble for something she didn't do. She was no Potter.

Violet had figured out the last fact rather quickly on her own. She remembered the vague impressions of her parents, but they looked nothing like Hagrid's photos. She had drawn their faces on the ceiling, along with the Dream Family.

The Dream Family were from a recurring series of dreams that she had always had. She had been younger there, locked in a winter wonderland. She had a special blue cape that the mother had given her when the black-haired and white-haired boys had gotten theirs. Sometimes, another little black-haired girl would be there, with her own cape. Those dreams made her feel safe. They were the few happy moments of her childhood.

The problem was, they were just dreams. Everyone hated her. No one loved her at all. She was all alone.


	4. Liz Connell (FT)

Alzack looked at the girl. He and Bisca had picked a mission, half for the reward, half for revenge. Succubus Heart had damaged them both far too much. Even for one guild branch, the reward was forty thousand jewels. It was decided the moment they saw the request for a branch only half a mile from the guild. They could do the job and come back to watch over the kids in a few hours. They had set off merrily that morning.

The job had been slightly tougher than expected, but not that difficult; most of the time aspect of the mission was waiting for Rune Knights to show up for arrests and searching the guild for more evidence, which brought Alzack to the girl. She couldn't have been more than five, chained to the wall in the very last cell he checked on the lowest level of what could best be described as a dungeon.

"Hey," Alzack said softly. The girl flinched and tried to move back, even though her back was solidly against a wall. "You don't have to be afraid. My name's Alzack. I'm going to get you out of here. Do you understand?" The girl nodded slightly. "Okay. Hold still for a second." Alzack broke the chain around her wrist and the collar around her neck before draping his poncho over her. The girl shivered as he picked her up. She weighed practically nothing. "It's gonna be alright. We're getting out of here." Alzack walked back up to the ground floor, where his wife and the Rune Knights were waiting.

"Find anything?" Bisca asked before freezing and staring at him. "Alzack, why is there a kid in your arms?" Alzack gestured his head towards the dungeon entrance. "She was in there?" Alzack nodded. "But she's a kid…"

"There have been instances of children being found in dark guilds before," Lahar interrupted. "As you two should very well know, considering you regularly look after at least three." Alzack gritted his teeth. "We can try, but it is unlikely we'll find any guardians. What is her name?" Alzack looked at the girl.

"Freak," the girl whispered, so softly Alzack barely heard it. Lahar's face tightened.

"How old are you?" The girl held up five fingers. "Five?" The girl nodded. "Okay. How about you live with Alzack and Bisca for a while?" The girl nodded softly. "I'll see if she has a record and give you the paperwork in a few days." Alzack nodded as he and Bisca walked out.

* * *

The girl spent the next day at Alzack and Bisca's house, half happy and half scared out of her mind. Bisca's heart sank at every little flinch, every little stutter. By the time Lahar came back, Bisca guessed her heart was roughly ten feet underground. The second the door opened, the girl dashed under the kitchen table.

"Anything?" Alzack asked. Lahar shook his head.

"There is a file, but nothing that would help us. She's nameless and her relatives are unlisted. I have the papers right here." Lahar pulled out a thin sheaf of papers. "For it, we'll need a name and a birthdate. For record purposes, we could assume her birthdate is five years before we found her, but we need to give her a name." Alzack shrugged.

"Connell for a last name, obviously," Alzack said, "but she still doesn't have a first name. Maybe Elizabeth? She was nice." Elizabeth had been a friend and Rune Knight before she died, specializing in cases involving children.

"I don't really want to name her after someone," Bisca argued. "That'll make it seem like she should _be_ that person. How about Liz?" The girl's head tilted as she looked up at Alzack.

"Liz is fine with me." Alzack grinned and patted the girl's head. "Welcome to the family, Liz Connell." The girl grinned shyly up at him. "You've got a wonderful journey ahead of you."


	5. Lynet Dreyar (FT)

It had started on Laxus's first solo S-class mission. As he was walking back from slaying a monster to the portal, he heard a soft cry from behind a tree. Normally, he would've dismissed it, but he was in the middle of dark woods with dangerous predators. Why the hell was a kid out there? Laxus walked over to where he had heard the cry.

Five minutes later, Laxus was rushing into the guild, carrying a severely beaten, black-haired girl. If looks could kill, then the entire guild would be dead. The second they entered the guild, Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed rushed over. Seeing the girl, Jet ran to find Porlyusica.

* * *

Makarov had thought the world had ended when he came back from his meeting. Half the guild was in chaos. He managed to get out of the crowd that Laxus was back and had brought home a severely injured girl, unidentified as of yet.

"What happened?" Makarov asked when he finally made it to the infirmary.

"Found the girl on my mission," Laxus explained.

"She's got two souls," Bickslow said, his dolls repeating the statement.

"How?" Bickslow shrugged.

"There's a conflicting - and evil - soul fragment in her head, just about," Bickslow tapped the scar, "here." Makarov left to find a book on soul magic. He would have to get that fragment out, hopefully before the kid woke.

Four days later, Makarov realized the painful process of removing the soul fragment - _Horcrux_ \- would have to be done when the child was conscious. Despite combing through Missing Persons reports, Levy had no clue to the girl's identity. She was still asleep in the infirmary, covered in bandages. Porlyusica had screamed that the child was a whole reason to hate humans all by herself. The fourth day was the day the little girl woke up.

Oddly enough, Laxus had been the first to notice her waking up. Feeling somehow responsible for the kid he had brought home, even if he had no clue who she was, he was sitting at her bedside. Still, it was not a good sign she woke up screaming. The second she opened her emerald green eyes, she backed away from Laxus.

"Kid, I'm not going to hurt you," Laxus said, showing her his hands. "What's your name?"

"Freak," the little girl muttered, barely audible. The second other guild members came in, "Freak" panicked.

"Who calls you that?" Laxus asked, deciding to kill them.

"Aunty and Uncle." Catching Mira's eye, Laxus noticed her tiny nod. Beside her, despite them not getting along, Erza nodded as well.

"What is their current address?" Erza asked. As the words came out of her mouth, "Freak" well… freaked.

"Please don't send me back," she managed to whimper.

"I won't. If you want, you can be a part of my family and you'll never go back," Laxus said, knowing that he would face few, if any, objections. "Freak" nodded. "If you do, though, you'll need a new name."

"New name?"

"Freak isn't an elegant name," Evergreen said, fanning herself.

"What's with the scar?" Bickslow asked, his dolls repeating. "Freak" looked entranced by the carved hunks of wood. "Looks like a lightning bolt."

"Levy," Gray asked, "Are there any really pretty words for lightning?" Levy pondered her response for a moment.

"In Norwegian," Levy replied, "'lightning' is ' _lynet'_. How about that?" "Freak" nodded.

"Lee-na," she said slowly. "Lynet. I like it."

* * *

While it took extensive research to figure out how to remove the Horcrux without killing Lynet, Levy had discovered a way it could be done. In addition, she had also discovered an ancient magic ritual that she felt might be of interest.

"Blood adoption?" Laxus asked. "You're saying that this would make whoever did it the biological parents of Lynet." Levy nodded. "Who?"

"You," Cana began, "wait - is this limited to two people?" Levy shook her head. While rare, blood adoption could be conducted by any number of individuals as long as it occurred at the same time. However, it was a bad idea to involve more than five people so that the child could retain an identity of their own.

"Four," Levy replied, deciding to stay on the safe side. "Four is the highest safe number."

"Okay, Laxus, Evergreen, Freed, and Bickslow," Cana said. "There's no way in hell that Lynet isn't going to want Laxus to be her daddy." It was true; Lynet had grown attached to the Dragonslayer. "Evergreen, because she's gotta have some female influence. Bickslow, because he gets her to smile." That had been a sight to see; Lynet had smiled softly, almost like sunshine breaking through clouds. "And Freed, because she needs, at least, one responsible adult." The guild nodded.

"I'll talk to her after the ceremony," Makarov promised. "Let's deal with one problem at a time." That night, the twisted soul was ripped from Lynet's head and destroyed. After she had recovered, Makarov approached her about the blood adoption.

"Lynet," Makarov said carefully, "would you like to have a new family?"Lynet slowly nodded. "There's an old magic ritual called blood adoption. It's perfectly safe, and several people want to do it."Lynet smiled.

* * *

"I'm back!" Natsu yelled, before sparking a fight. After the fight had ended, Natsu asked one question. "Where's Li?"

"Right here," a girl piped up. She appeared to be about eight, with wavy blond hair streaked with navy. Behind glasses, her eyes glowed teal. She was wearing a dark grey tank top with a silver lightning bolt on it and black pants, along with black boots. A black guild mark was displayed on her right collarbone, near her shoulder. She was also wearing a silver necklace and earrings with lightning bolts. Lucy noted that both Gray and Natsu didn't seem to find anything strange about her being included.


	6. Runaway Gunner (FT)

After his second year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter fled in fear of the secrets he had learned. When the Goblet spits out his name, two children and a strange man appear in Hogwarts. A man with black hair, green eyes, and thirteen years of planning for something like this...

To use the term loosely, it was a normal day in Magnolia. In the Fairy Tail guild hall, Alzack Connell watched Asuka run around cheerfully. His daughter was the single most important thing in his life, even before his wife, Bisca. She shared his messy black hair. Some days Alzack wondered if _he_ could have been like that once.

Silently, Alzack toasted himself for another year of secrecy. Even though it had been over a decade (13 years to be precise), he still celebrated every year as if _he_ would come in, say _time's up_ , and drag him away. Bisca had congratulated him earlier. Spotting him, Gildarts raised his glass slightly. Besides Bisca and Makarov, Gildarts was the only one to know his secret.

Suddenly, Alzack felt a strong, painful tug on his gut. Words filtered in, sounding almost like from a radio.

" _Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute…"_

"No," Alzack murmured, "No, bastard, I'm not coming. I'm staying here."

"… _where they will be receiving their first instructions. The champion for Durmstrang will be Viktor Krum."_

"Daddy?" Asuka asked, running to her father, who held her tightly.

"I'm staying…"

" _The champion for Beauxbatons is Fleur Delacour!"_

"Alzack, what's going on?" Romeo seemed on edge. Alzack looked up at him, normally black eyes burning emerald green. Romeo instantly joined the pair.

" _The Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory!"_ Alzack tensed. It anything was going to happen, it would happen now.

" _Harry Potter."_

In a flash of light, Alzack and Asuka disappeared, taking Romeo with them. In another dimension, a tall man appeared in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. The students stared at him in shock.

Then all hell broke loose.


	7. Vermilion Goodwitch (RWBY)

It was a bright, cold February morning when Glynda walked briskly through Privet Drive. The houses were a bit too uniform for her taste, a bit too conforming, but she wasn't one to judge. She was simply walking to a certain location so she could go home, and this was the shortest route. However, when she heard a child's cry, Glynda knew she wouldn't make it to the landing strip by 9 o'clock. Glynda quietly crept up to Number Four and noticed that there was a very small child being beaten by a walrus-like man.

* * *

"Glynda, why aren't you at Beacon?"

"I found a child being abused."

"And?"

"Things happened. She's attached to me and me alone for some reason. I think I'll adopt her." Ozpin sighed. Despite generally being a strict teacher, he knew very well that Glynda was a big softie when it came to children.

"Just be back by Saturday."

"Hello, little one," Glynda said as the girl woke up. "My name is Glynda. What's yours?"

"Hi, Miss Glynda," the girl replied. "I'm Freak." Glynda growled. _What else could those relatives of hers done?_

"No, that isn't a good name. I'm going to adopt you, so I guess you'll need a new name." The girl looked up at her curiously.

"Adopt?"

"I'll be your new mommy." The girl grinned.

"Really?"

"Of course, little one. Hmm… how about Ruby? No, too pretentious. Claret? No, that isn't pretty enough for a girl like you. "Glynda continued to ponder color names before reaching one she felt fit perfectly. "Why don't I name you Vermilion? Vermilion Goodwitch."

"Glynda," Ozpin said, noticing his coworker carrying a child. "You weren't kidding."

"Of course I wasn't. Ozpin, meet Vermilion Goodwitch, my daughter." The little girl smiled up at him.

"Hello, Vermilion, I am Professor Ozpin." Vermilion giggled. "I have a feeling we will be seeing a _lot_ of each other." Glynda felt the glare Ozpin threw over Vermilion's shoulder. Vermilion giggled again.

"Daddy," Vermilion said. Ozpin and Glynda blinked and stared at the little girl.

"What?" Glynda blushed.

"It will be an _interesting_ few years," Ozpin muttered, while silently praying that this little girl wouldn't pick up certain traits from the students. "Vermilion, do you like to learn?" Vermilion nodded cheerfully. "Brilliant. Why don't we let her sit in on some of the first year's lessons once the new school year begins?"

"That would certainly be… interesting. It might keep her out of trouble at least." At that moment, both adults vowed to give this little girl the best education they could and destroy anyone and anything that got in their way.

In an office far, far away, a silver instrument broke and shattered as the wards on Privet Drive collapsed and a certain Haley Potter slipped out of an old man's grasp. His plotted fate was falling apart as a new future emerged - one of a girl named Vermilion Goodwitch, who had a plan and a will of her own.


	8. Remnants of a Past (RWBY)

**This is the beginning of an irregularly updated series of oneshots. If I am asked, I can (and will) make these into full-length stories, but I'm putting up the condensed versions for now.**

* * *

Many things were said about Harry Potter. He was the Boy Who Lived. He was the Chosen One. He was a liar. He was a pampered prince. He was powerful. He was dangerous. Only the latter two were true.

Harry Potter was born June 31, 1980. On October 31, 1981, his parents died. Harry survived. Voldemort disappeared. Everyone knew that. He slipped off of the magical radar until he was 11, when he went to Hogwarts. He defeated Voldemort at 11, a basilisk at 12. He had not, however, been able to save the muggleborn witch, Hermione Granger, who had been accused of starting the attacks, from Azkaban.

Somewhere between the train ride ending his second year and the train ride beginning his third, Harry Potter disappeared. So had Sirius Black, convict who had never been given a trial. So had Remus Lupin, werewolf and teacher. So had Hermione's parents and, quite possibly, the witch herself. None had been seen or heard from again.

The five were thankful for that small mercy, though moving to another country and changing their names certainly helped things. A few specialized charms and Harry and Hermione were unrecognizable. Sirius was cleared in Vacuo. Soon, both Harry and Hermione picked a career choice. The fact that it was, almost certainly, the most dangerous career path any of them had heard about (besides being the Boy Who Lived or Boy Who Lived's Best Friend) was not mentioned. The adults had learned long ago that those two were too stubborn to die.

They were not Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, children with bright pasts and dark futures, representing a school they had been forced to attend for lies. They were Scarlet David and Dew Gayl, two teenagers with dark pasts and bright futures, representing schools of their choice in a tournament of cooperation. Neither regretted that choice.

They were happy with it. The Grangers were happy with it, even if Faunus teeth were an interesting experience. Sirius was happy with it; he even saw his sister Andromeda, who had run away a decade before. Lupin was more than happy with it, having found a lycanthropy cure. The only person not happy with it, it seemed, was Dumbledore, and he would soon make his displeasure known.


	9. WSHH (RWBY)

"Ready?" The woman asked. She, her husband, their daughter, and the boy that was legally their son all nodded. "Are we sure about this? I don't know if we can get back."

"It's either wherever the spell takes us or back to Hogwarts," the boy reminded her. The girl's feline ears twitched. "Look at Hermione. Look at me. Neville and Luna both know what we're doing and accept this solution. Even Madam Longbottom accepts it!"

"Alright. We'll leave the note so anyone who needs to can find us." The boy and girl activated the runes carefully drawn around them. "Goodbye, England. Hello, Remnant!"

The woman behind the Welcome Desk at The Magical Travel Center in Vale smiled down at the four new arrivals. This was her job though few ever passed her desk. All four looked around nervously.

"Hello, my name is Laura Seward. Welcome to Vytal. Can I take your names?"

"I am Doctor Daniel Aslan Granger, this is my wife Doctor Emma Jean Granger, our daughter Hermione Jean Granger, and family friend and legal son Harry James Potter. We are here from England, and would like to see asylum and citizenship," The man said, tucking and arm around each of the children.

"Doctors Granger, Miss Granger, and Mister Potter, please join me in my office. We have paperwork to fill out for that."

"Gladly." All four followed her into a neat office as Laura pulled out a sheaf of papers. "Are you all magical?"

"No, only Harry and Hermione are. Emma and I don't have magic."

"Why are you seeking asylum?" Dan considered the best way to put it.

"Dumbledore's a manipulative bastard," Harry muttered. Dan nodded.

"Can you elaborate on that?" Laura frowned.

"Well, Ms. Seward," Hermione piped up, "It started on Halloween two years ago. I was crying in the girl's bathroom…"

* * *

On a sunny afternoon, students streamed out of airships onto Beacon campus. Among the crowd was a couple, both carrying weapons they had forged, both a year too young to attend the illustrious school. Beacon had accepted both their applications anyways. After all, the pair were some of the best fighters in decades.

"Should we split up?" the girl, who had long, bushy brown hair and twitching cat ears, asked the boy. Unlike many of the other girls rushing past, she wore clothes that were obviously comfortable; she had chosen a dark blue tunic that reached her elbows and shimmered darkly, a pair of khaki pants, and brown boots. A rapier casually rested against her hip, connected to a brown belt.

"Yes," the boy replied, thankful that his scar meant nothing in this world. He had also chosen function over fashion with a red shirt that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, a pair of khaki pants, and dull gold boots. "This place is a little too familiar. Hermione, why don't you go left while I go right?"

"Sure, Harry. Meet you in the auditorium in an hour." With that, Hermione walked away, ignoring the glares directed at her. She had put up with them for being smart, she had put up with them for being muggleborn, she could put up with them for being Faunus.


	10. Sarah Stark (Avengers or MCU)

Tony's fifth kidnapping A.A. (After Afghanistan) began on a Monday. Said Monday started with Tony driving to a meeting across town in an ongoing negotiation with another company. Two hours after he left, the other company sent Pepper an email asking about Tony's nonattendance. Considering that Tony had deliberately left early for said meeting, Pepper was instantly suspicious. Ten minutes later, all of Tony's trackers were discovered unfunctional. Half an hour after that, his car was discovered abandoned. There were traces of sedative gas in the passenger compartment. Pepper contacted the Avengers.

Two days later, the Avengers had assembled and were searching for Tony. Official reports had been released and a dozen leads had been tracked down and dismissed. It was the beginning of a long, grueling search that sent several of them into breakdowns at least once. By the time they had found a location, there had been five raids on former holding areas and four months had passed. The Avengers told no one where they were going; Fury was still a prime suspect. The base was six hours from New York. They planned on the way.

* * *

The base was well-built, but nothing could stand up to the force of an angry Hulk. Once the initial barriers were breached, the Avengers split into pairs and searched for Tony. The evidence became more disturbing as they proceeded further into the base. Blood smeared some of the walls and destruction hung in the air. On the lowest level, Steve and Sam found a locked door leading to what was presumably a cell. Cautiously, Steve pushed the door with his shield. The door swung open, revealing a long, low-ceilinged lab.

"Tony?" Steve called. Someone chuckled.

"Took you long enough," Tony muttered. His voice was oddly hoarse and quiet. "All clear." Sam and Steve cautiously entered the room to see Tony sitting on the floor, leaning heavily on a lab table. Behind him, Steve could make out the reflection of another pair of eyes.

"What's behind you?" Steve asked, hoping it wasn't dangerous. He had run across enough biological weapons already.

"Oh, her? She's Sarah. Well, I call her Sarah. I'm not sure what her actual name is." A small girl with black hair and green eyes peeked out from behind Tony's back.

"Why's there a kid in here?" Sam asked.

"It's a long story." The tone of Tony's voice clearly stated that he didn't want to talk about this today (or, most likely, ever). "How did you find us?"

"It's a long story," Sam replied. "Let's get out of here before it gets longer." Sam grabbed one of Tony's arms and helped him to his feet. Sarah slowly followed, sticking as close to Tony's side as physically possible. Oddly, Tony didn't seem to mind.

"You both need to see Bruce-" Steve began.

"After he stops being a giant green rage monster?" Tony interrupted. Steve nodded. "I know, Cap." As they reached the jet, Tony and Sarah shakily climbed aboard and collapsed into the seats inside. Slowly, the others came, shooting questioning looks at the child curled up next to Tony.

"I'll explain later," Tony mouthed. Natasha frowned. This didn't seem like it would end well. The plane finally took off soon after Tony and Sarah had been given a quick once-over and their injuries deemed to be not life threatening. Sarah had fallen asleep quickly, resting her head against the seat next to her.

"What happened?" Clint asked. Tony sighed.

"I woke up in that lab. She was hiding under one of the tables," Tony began. "After that… they threatened her. Wanted me to build a bomb."

"Did you?"

"Not a working one." Tony's smile turned predatory. "Not that they know that."

"Who is she?" Natasha asked.

"I don't know. I call her Sarah."

"Super Awesome Research Assistant Help?" Steve guessed.

"No, after Sarah Jane Smith. Doctor Who, anyone?" In truth, it was more like Small Armament Research Assistant (not that he was planning to build another suit), but Tony didn't let Steve know that. "I'm not sure she has a name."

"Are we keeping her?" Natasha asked almost as if Sarah was a puppy.

"Well, she has nowhere else to go and doesn't seem fond of parting with Tony for more than a few seconds. Why not?"


	11. Amina Brennan (Bones)

It had started with a phone call from Child Services about a foreign girl in a possible abuse case. Thinking of his own son, Booth accepted.

* * *

Booth and the Child Services advocate sat across from the girl. She had ratty black hair and green eyes. Her skin was unnaturally pale. The rags she was wearing were obviously several sizes too big.

"What's your name?" Booth asked gently. The girl squirmed slightly. "I won't hurt you, kid. Please tell me your name."

"F-Freak." The girl's response was so quiet the adults barely heard her.

"Who calls you freak?"

"A-Aunty. U-Uncle. D-Dudley."

"Freak isn't a good name. How about I call you Sweetie?" The girl shakily nodded. "Okay, Sweetie, I'm Booth."

"H-Hi Booth," the girl said softly.

"Sweetie, I just want to ask you a few questions. Can you answer them as best you can?" Sweetie nodded. "Okay, how old are you?"

"I don't know."

"Why are you in the US?"

"Uncle's trip."

"What happened when you got here?"

"Uncle hurt me and locked me in my closet."

"Your closet?"

"While we were at the hotel."

"Why were you in a closet?"

"I'm too freaky to have a room."

"Does your Uncle hurt you often?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm a freak."

"You're not a freak, Sweetie." Booth stood up. "Can you come with me? A friend of mine is going to check you over to see that you're alright. It won't hurt." Sweetie nodded and took Booth's hand. He led her over to where he knew Cam and Bones were waiting. After depositing Sweetie in their capable hands, Booth walked off. He needed to punch something.

Three hours later, Booth returned with Parker. Parker and Sweetie quickly decided to play while the adults talked. Booth realized this case would be more difficult than he thought though it was clear Sweetie was not going back to her relatives.

"Okay, we've got the court case settled; what about Sweetie?" Booth asked.

"I could adopt her," Brennan suggested. Within hours, Sweetie became Brennan's ward until after the trial.

* * *

Amina Brennan was a rather unusual girl. The eleven-year-old had short black hair and vibrant green eyes behind glasses. She was deadly smart and fairly athletic, though small for her age. Sometimes, when her temper got out of control, strange things happened around her. Still, today was her and Parker's birthday, and it would be amazing.

Quickly discovering that no one knew her actual name, let alone birthdate, Bones had decided to let Amina pick a birthday. Unsurprisingly, she chose to share her birthday with Parker, her only friend at the time.

At the Booth-Brennan household, the Jeffersonian Team and several of Parker and Amina's friends had gathered around a large cake. The birthday kids quickly blew out the candles and began to eat.

The party was disrupted by the appearance of several adults in robes. Grumbling, Booth grabbed his gun as the other adults quickly grabbed whatever destructive implements they could find. They had known this would happen eventually but did they have to appear at the party?

"You are under arrest for breaking and entering the house of an FBI agent," Booth began. "You have the right to remain silent…" As Booth escorted the unwelcome guests out of the house while reciting their Miranda Rights from memory, the kids quickly got back to having fun. The surprise intruders at random intervals were a semiregular nuisance.

* * *

As it turned out, the letter they carried created a much greater problem.

"So this says Amy has to attend this Pigfarts?" Finn asked. Like half the people who knew her, Finn had nicknamed Amina.

"Hogwarts," Brennan corrected. "That is correct."

"And Fumbles is Headmaster?" Hodgins asked, having met the Old Goat before. Booth nodded. "Is she allowed to bring a skillet?" Booth shook his head, grinning at the suggestion and the memory it was based on.

"I don't think Fumblebore will let her bring any large, heavy object she doesn't need," Brennan said.


	12. Central Figures (FMA)

Note: "this is English", _**"this is amestrian"**_

* * *

Harry hid behind the large bush at the end of the street. Dudley had started another round of Harry Hunting, and he wanted to be as far away as possible. Hearing his cousin gaining on him, Harry broke into a run. There was a loud _crack_ and a flash of brilliant white light, and Harry was gone.

* * *

Hughes walked outside to take a break from the tense atmosphere of the office. With General Armstrong there, everyone was less happy than when she stayed at Briggs. Suddenly, there was a loud _crack_ and a flash of white light. Running, Hughes rounded the corner to see a terrified kid and no bomb or gun. Holstering his gun and tucking his throwing knife back into his pocket, Hughes made his way over to the kid. He looked to be about five, with shaggy black hair and broken glasses hiding a pair of brilliant green eyes.

" _ **Kid, where are your parents?"**_ Hughes asked. The boy looked at him blankly, and Hughes decided to put his language skills to use. "Kid, where are your parents?" The boy shook his head. "Who takes care of you?" The kid again shook his head, tears brimming in his eyes. "What's your name?"

"H-hh-ha-harry potter," the kid forced out. "I'm sorry."

"Shh, kid, don't cry. I'm going to take you back to my office, okay?" Hughes's "question" was rhetorical, but the kid didn't seem to understand that.

"You don't need to do that. I'm fine," the kid lied.

"You're coming to my office and I'm finding you guardian and arresting them for neglect. Shouldn't you be in school?" Hughes instantly thought of Gracia and baby Elysia. He had a feeling that if worst came to worst, the kid would end up with him.

"S-ss-summer term's out," the kid replied. "R-really. I'm f-ff-fine." Hughes grabbed Harry's hand and quickly dragged him back to Central.

"Sure you are, and Ed's a giant. You're going to be alright, kid. Come with me. I'm going to help you out." Harry went along slowly but obediently. Hughes pushed open the door and gently nudged Harry inside.

" _ **Hughes, why is there a kid with you?"**_ Mustang asked as carefully as possible.

" _ **I found him abandoned on an empty street. He only speaks english. I couldn't just leave him there,"**_ Hughes said. Mustang groaned.

"Where are your parents?" Riza asked gently.

"They're dead. Where am I?" Harry replied.

"You're in Central Command. Central City. Amestris." Riza tried them all, but Harry didn't recognize any of them. "Who takes care of you?"

"M-my aunt and uncle. I don't want to go back. I'm sorry for causing you trouble," Harry said. Riza gave Hughes a significant look that meant, _He is staying with you tonight. He is not going back._ "What's your name?"

"H-harry. Harry Potter," Harry replied.

"Harry, why don't you stay with Sheska for a while until we can sort this all out?" Hawkeye suggested. Hawkeyes guided Harry to the library and explained the situation to Sheska. She accepted the task without too much trouble.

"So, Harry… do you like to read?"

* * *

 **"** ** _ **A CHILD! HOW MARVELOUS!"**_** **Major Armstrong had his full sparkles on as he attempted to hug Harry. There was a pop, and Harry peered out from behind Hughes to see a very masculine-looking bunny with a curl on its head and sparkles. Olivier smirked, but her eyes flicked from her brother the bunny to Harry and back again.**

" _ **Hughes, the kid is coming with me to meet Catherine,"**_ Olivier said as she scooped up the bunny in one arm and grabbed Harry with the other. Hughes, knowing better than to protest, followed after her to look after Harry. After all, there was no way in hell he was letting the kid go alone into that house of lunatics.

* * *

 **"** ** _ **Where's Alex?"**_** **Catherine asked innocently enough. Harry smiled at her shyly. In her pink dress with her blond Armstrong hair in a ponytail, Catherine was easily the least scary person he'd met. Plus, she was speaking in english. Olivier coughed and gestured to the bunny. Catherine's eyes widened.**

" _ **The kid transformed him by accident when Alex tried to hug him,"**_ Olivier explained. " _ **You know I'm not magical."**_ Catherine blushed. Out of the Armstrong siblings, only she had inherited magic from their mother.

" _ **Olivier, you know I need authorization to do any spellwork since I'm a minor…"**_ Catherine said shyly. Even though magic wasn't a secret in Amestris since there were so few wizards (and alchemy was a major study), minors still needed adult permission to perform any kind of magic.

" _ **I, Olivier Mira Armstrong, hereby grant permission for my younger sister, Catherine Elle Armstrong, to transfigure our brother, Alex Louis Armstrong, back to his normal state,"**_ Olivier stated. Catherine pulled out her wand and muttered an incantation, causing her brother to return to his regular, massively muscular size.

"H-how'd you do that?" Harry asked. His eyes were as wide as saucers

"I used magic. You can use it too, but you don't have control quite yet," Catherine answered. She pulled out her wand to show Harry. "I channel my power through this wand to do things with magic. When you're older, you'll get one too and become a wizard." Harry looked up at her in awe.

"How does it work?" Harry asked.

"The wood keeps the core stable and allows it to channel the energy I give it into magic," Catherine explained. "Every witch or wizard had their own wand. The core and wood, along with the length and flexibility, depend on the witch or wizard. Mine is alder wood, twelve inches, fairly rigid with a unicorn hair core." Harry smiled up at the older girl. Catherine smiled back.

" _ **What do we do about Harry?"**_ Hughes asked. The kid in question was playing with Catherine several rooms over, well out of earshot.

" _ **He's your problem,"**_ Olivier said gruffly. " _ **Ask Gracia. He definitely needs to spend time around Catherine, though. We don't want another bunny incident."**_ Olivier had actually found the whole scenario rather funny, but she knew accidental magic could be more destructive. For example: one time, when another kid had knocked Catherine down in the sandbox, he had been knocked off his feet by a small explosion. And that was before Catherine had started hitting him.

* * *

 **"** ** _ **How old are you, Harry?"**_** **Gracia asked. She didn't seem surprised or mad that her husband had brought home a kid. Hughes translated the question. He was going to have to teach Harry amestrian.**

"S-seven," Harry replied. Hughes translated his answer. Gracia looked shocked. Harry was way too small and skinny to be seven, and Gracia had taken into consideration Ed's stature.

" _ **Are you hungry, Harry?"**_ Gracia had decided to the obvious signs that Harry hadn't had a normal childhood and treat him like a normal kid. Harry nodded. Gracia grinned. She had made a large dinner for three, plus pie.

The first week of Harry's new life went fairly normally. Al liked the shy boy, who spent a large amount of time being babysat by Sheska. Ed liked the fact there was someone smaller than him in the office. The issue of his family was ignored until the dinner the Saturday after he appeared.

* * *

Roy was hosting a party for Riza's birthday. Harry, of course, was there. He was putting out a plate when Ed crashed into him, trying to avoid one of Major Armstrong's hugs. Harry dropped his plate, which shattered on the floor. Before Ed could apologize, Harry curled up into a ball, muttering about something.

"Harry?" Hughes asked.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Harry cried. Ed's expression softened.

"It's fine," Ed said, transmuting the plate back into one piece. "See?"

"I'm sorry. Please don't hit me." Riza's smile slowly melted off of her face.

"Harry, what did you say?" Riza growled.

"Pl-please d-don't h-hit m-me," Harry stuttered. Riza slowly sat down next to Harry on the floor.

"Why would I do that?" Harry flinched as Riza gently wrapped her left arm around his shoulders.

"M-my uncle says that p-pain is the only way I'll learn." The adults in the room now all looked like they were going to kill Harry's relatives. Even those who didn't speak english had either figured out the gist of the conversation or received a translation.

"Harry, it's alright. You didn't do anything." Harry shook his head.

* * *

Harry ended up friends with a child of a State Alchemist, Nina Tucker. When she was transformed into a chimera, Harry's accidental magic exploded outward, transforming her back. Gracia suddenly had three children to take care of.

A year after that, on the anniversary of Harry's appearance, Maes Hughes died. He was buried in a military funeral as Gracia looked on and Harry tried not to cry. When Elysia asked why they were burying Hughes, Harry lost it and collapsed into tears. The Hughes family had stayed during the Promised Day, and Harry ended up doing minor-level first aid after the battle. Ed and Al stayed with Gracia so that Al wouldn't end up in the hospital. Ed had apparently traded his arm for his brother's soul while Hoenheim traded his body for Al's.

* * *

" _Harry?"_ Breda called. Mustang's team had all gathered at Gracia's house to celebrate Harry's eleventh birthday. The last time they had gathered together had been the Promised Day just over a year before. Roy and Havoc were both getting closer to being fully functional; Roy's vision was now only severely blurry and Havoc could (sort of) walk for (very) short distances. " _Letter for you."_ Harry looked confused, but opened the letter.

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

 _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

" _ **I'll ask Catherine about it,"**_ Harry decided after translating the letter for the others there. Over the past four years, he had become fluent in amestrian and started speaking accented english.

* * *

"Catherine, what's Hogwarts?" Harry asked. Catherine looked up from her book. Harry tended to turn up at the Armstrong household in semiregular intervals for lessons on magic.

"It's a magic school. Why?" Catherine asked. Harry passed her the letter. "Harry…is Potter your original last name?" Harry nodded. "Harry, I think you're going to have to go to Hogwarts. It's in England, and considering things…"

"What things?" Harry asked.

"Years ago, in England, there was a man named Voldemort who led a reign of terror in the magical community. He wanted to kill you, Harry. He killed both your parents, but when he tried to kill you… the curse rebounded and he died. You're the Boy Who Lived, Harry."

"But what if I want to stay here?"

"I don't think you have much of a choice."

* * *

"How do we get to Platform 9¾?" Harry asked. Catherine and Gracia were taking him to the station. Elysia rode on top of Harry's cart, while Nina followed behind.

"We run through that," Catherine said, pointing at a brick wall. "It's not an actual wall." The group ran through the wall onto Platform 9¾.

" _ **Be careful,"**_ Gracia said to Harry. " _ **Respect your teachers. Don't start fights. If you get into fights, win. Write to us. Don't forget to practice your alchemy in secret. Come back for Christmas Break."**_ The alchemy had been, in hindsight, all Ed's fault. After the incident at Riza's birthday party, Ed and Al had used their shifts babysitting the kid to show him alchemy. (Yes, for about a year after he had appeared, there was a roster over who would babysit Harry.) Harry had caught onto alchemy like a house on fire, and everything had gone from there. Harry nodded and got onto the train, waving at Elysia as the train pulled out.

* * *

"Granger, Hermione." Hermione walked up and put the hat on her head. "RAVENCLAW!" Harry scowled as "Hawkeye, Roy" was followed by "Jones, Alfred". They were going to call him up by his birth name!

"Longbottom, Neville." The hat considered for almost three minutes before making its decision. "HUFFLEPUFF!" Neville hung his head in shame as he sat down next to Susan Bones. Harry had learned on the train ride that Neville needed to get into Gryffindor to not be a disgrace or something.

"Malfoy, Draco." The hat only considered its choices for a moment. "SLYTHERIN!"

"Potter, Harry." Harry walked forwards, aware of everyone's eyes trained on him. " _Not easily shaken, are you? You could be a Gryffindor worthy of Godric himself. You are almost as clever as Rowena. Helga would admire your loyalty. And of course, enough cunning to trick Salazar. Where should I put you?"_ Harry considered his options. 'Whatever is best." " _You are destined for great things, Harry. Terrible, maybe. Painful, almost certainly. But you have a future. The best path for you would be…_ GRYFFINDOR!"

The classes were… strange, to say the least. The Astronomy Class was nothing new to Harry (the summer after he had appeared, Olivier had practically forced him to memorize the night sky for use in case he got lost), but Professor Binns was easily not only his most boring teacher, but also his most surprising. At least Binns didn't start fangirling when he reached Harry's name, unlike Flitwick.

His favorite class, ironically, was Transfiguration. Despite the strict teacher and difficult subject, it all seemed to click into Harry's head. Then again, he grew up with Hawkeye and General Armstrong as figures in his education, so it shouldn't be surprising he didn't mind strictness.

Snape, while still disliking his most unusual student, could see that he wasn't a copy of his good-for-nothing father; he had a kind, albeit somewhat passive aggressive personality from his foster family and his mother's temper. Definitely Lily's temper.


	13. Angel Nero (HIVE)

"Let me get this straight," Colonel Francisco began. "You saw a kid being abused."

"Yes." Raven and Nero were talking in sync. Not a good sign. Francisco glanced at the girl, who ducked her head.

"You got her parents arrested."

"Yes."

"No," the girl said. It was the first word any of the adults heard her speak. "Aunt Horse and Uncle Walrus not parents."

"We got her guardians arrested," Nero clarified.

"And you adopted her?"

"Yes." Colonel Francisco looked from Raven to Nero to the girl and back again. "Only you, Nero, only you. What's her name?" All three adults looked at the girl.

"Freak." Five minutes later, the entirety of the staff was aware that they had a new resident after Nero, Raven, andFracisco hit the roof before attempting to figure out where the girl had hidden.

* * *

In the chaotic aftermath of the monster formerly known as Violet, Raven soon found her largest worry. A nervous girl stood at the end of the hallway, gun drawn. Long, pitch black hair was braided down her back, and her green eyes scanned the hall. She was nine, maybe ten years old. At the sight of Raven, she smiled slightly.

"Mom!" the girl yelled. Raven nodded, much to the shock of Otto and Wing. As she stepped closer, the girl identified the body on the floor. "Dad!" Otto gaped. Who was this girl? Raven rolled her eyes.

"Angel, I think you've broken Otto." Raven smirked. "Go to your room." Angel nodded and walked away. Raven glared at Otto and Wing. "She's a story for another time. Just know if you ever have someone that isn't a staff member ask you about Angel Nero or Haley Potter, you are to tell them to fuck off." Otto gulped and nodded.

* * *

"Another letter," Angel called, dumping the thing in an empty metal tray in Professor Pike's classroom. "Same thing again, even though we sent a negative reply. Can I burn it?" Pike looked at the girl, sighed, and nodded.

For ten minutes, Angel watched, entranced, as the parchment burned to ashes.

* * *

"Do you have your gun?"

"Yes, and my token three magazines of bullets."

"Your knife?"

"You're saying that like I only have one."

"Blackbox?"

"In my pocket."

"Tracker?"

"I can't think that thing off, Chief. You don't need to be overprotective. I've got this all under control." Angel, knowing where the barrier was, guided them to it.

"Be careful, kiddo."

"Chief, you're going to have more trouble than I will." With that, Angel grabbed her trunk and marched through the barrier, straight past the redheaded family loudly proclaiming the platform number.


	14. Maka (Soul Eater)

Harry inwardly groaned. Another school year over, another summer back at Durzkaban… As he got into the car, Vernon revealed one additional piece of information.

"Boy, we have another guest in the house," Vernon announced. "Apparently, your aunt had a freaky brother." Harry decided to keep his silence. He didn't want to make Vernon mad. He was almost thirteen, but his uncle was still several times his size.

A few days later, Harry decided to try and find this other relative of his now that he was alone. Quickly stepping out of his room, Harry cleared the second floor. He took no time in reaching the other likely place. Noting that it was again locked, Harry implemented the twins' lessons and picked the lock. He carefully opened the door to see a small girl.

She looked to be about five, with ash blond hair and eyes just as green as his own. What concerned Harry more was the bruises that covered her arms and face. Seeing him, she backed herself even further into the cupboard.

"Hey, I won't hurt you," Harry said softly. "What's your name?" The girl sniffed.

"M-maka." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Well Maka, I'm Harry." Harry knew that Dudley was coming home, and there was no way this kid was going through that. "Do you have anything you want to take with you?"

"T-they b-burned it a-all." Harry nodded, remembering he had to get his trunk.

"Well then, we'll just have to get you some new things later. We'll be off in a minute, I just need to get my trunk." Harry grabbed his trunk and Hedwig's cage as Maka carefully held Harry's hand. "C'mon, let's move." The two quickly left. Remembering something Hermione had told him about, Harry drew his wand to summon the Knight Bus. Maka's eyes grew as wide as saucers at the purple bus. Harry quickly paid for both of them and found a seat. "Relax, this _should_ be fine." As the bus took off, Harry realized the wizarding world had very little common sense. "I stand corrected. At least, we're at the Leaky Cauldron, and _that_ doesn't move." Maka wearily followed him into the Leaky Cauldron. As he stepped in, Harry noted Tom was missing. Instead, a familiar-looking woman with blond hair sat in his place. As he walked towards her, an even more familiar girl with blond pigtails called out to him.

"Hey, Harry," Hannah Abbott said cheerfully. "Who's the little girl?"

"This is Maka, my cousin," Harry replied as Maka hid behind him. Hannah peered around him to wave at the little girl.

"She's so cute! But wait, aren't your relatives muggles?"

"Apparently, my mum had two siblings: my Aunt Petunia and Maka's father. I don't know about her parents, but I think Maka's magical because she hasn't triggered any anti-muggle wards," Harry explained. "Her parents died, leaving her at the Dursleys. I decided that I'd rather not try to coexist with Dudley this year, and I wasn't going to leave her with the Dursleys. What are you doing here?"

"My great-uncle is the landlord," Hannah replied. "Do you need some help? I'm sorry about last year. I was so naive and stupid, believing that-"

"And you had no reason to believe me. Can we get a room?"

"Sure. Just ask my mom." Hannah gestured to the woman behind the counter. Harry nodded. "Harry, if you need help, just say so." Harry sighed and nodded.

"I have no plan, and no clue what to do; I just couldn't stay in that house, and I couldn't leave Maka there." Harry realized he might have just made a mistake of epic proportions. "What did I just do? I have nothing, and I can't go back to the Dursleys-"

"Harry, you're the Potter heir. You're, to put it simply, filthy rich." Harry looked at Hannah. "Look, why don't we talk to my mom and see what we can do." Hannah nodded towards her mother and guided Harry and Maka into a back room. Hannah's mother followed them in and cast privacy wards before sitting down. Many plans were made that night, hopes and dreams and fears colliding at last. Dumbledore should've known the second a little girl entered the wards that his tentative control wouldn't last.


End file.
